Part 4 Summary

Creon appears and agrees to see a guard who is assigned to watch over Polynices' body. The guard, Jonas, is clearly in terror of Creon. He protests that he and the other guards were watching all night and reminds Creon of his good record. Creon quickly loses patience and orders Jonas to get on with what he has to say. Jonas tells him that in the middle of the night, he and the other guards realized that someone had thrown earth on Polynices' body - not buried him, exactly, but covered him up just enough to keep away the vultures. He adds that a small child's shovel was found nearby.

Creon responds by telling Jonas that the guard detail will be doubled, that he and his fellow guards will be punished for their negligence, and that they are to say nothing. Jonas pleads...